


Trade Talk

by forwhomthecrescentrolls



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, F/M, Fluff, NHL Trade Deadline, inspired by recent events, with a few fleeting moments of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:55:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26840074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forwhomthecrescentrolls/pseuds/forwhomthecrescentrolls
Summary: The trade deadline provokes a conversation that will change everything.
Relationships: Joel Edmundson/Original Female Character(s)





	Trade Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am not dating Joel, and this story did not happen in real life.  
> Warning: mention of sex (nothing explicit)  
> tumblr @croissanthockeyblog

We hadn’t talked about a trade, not really. And we hadn’t talked about what it would mean for us. I had spent the day with Joel at his apartment, watching his face closely each time he looked at his phone to check the team group text. I let him offer me updates without asking for them. Some things we expected: Erik and Kristen wanted out of North Carolina, and I would be the last person to blame them. Sending Wally along hadn’t been expected, and of course everyone was sad to see him go. But when three o’clock came and went and afternoon slipped into evening with no phone call, I started to feel like I could draw a full breath again. For the moment, Joel was ours – for the moment, he was still mine. 

“I’m relieved we made it through the trade deadline,” I said, finally giving voice to my fear now that the threat had passed. I was curled up in bed with Joel on that February night, my hand on his chest, the warmth of his skin and the feeling of the solid muscle underneath grounding me in the knowledge that he was here now and would be until at least April.

“About that,” Joel caught my hand in his, rolling onto his side and propping up on his elbow. I mirrored his posture, holding the sheets to my chest and facing him. “You know, I’m probably not going to be here next year.”

I swallowed and nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral even though I could feel my insides seize up as soon as he spoke. Joel hadn’t been on the chopping block today, but I could count. Now that all the moves had been made for the season, the Canes had nine defensemen on the roster. It was clear that they weren’t planning on signing Joel again. 

We had only been together a few months, and once we settled into our sex life everything had gone so well. Our relationship was light and easy and fun. Even so, it was always in the back of my mind that Joel may have chosen me because I was convenient, and the moment I became inconvenient he would find someone else. The way he looked at me and touched me and spoke to me didn’t match the fear, but I was still afraid to be the one to start asking questions about what all of this meant. I had known what it meant to me for a while, now. Even if Joel wasn’t at the same place, I would take whatever he would give me. This was the moment I would find out exactly how much he was going to give.

Joel looked down at the bed to where his hand was wrapped around mine. He ran his thumb over my knuckles and met my eyes with his again before he continued, “I’m probably going to have to sign somewhere else to get the right contract. And, if you want to, and I hope that you do, I want you to come with me.”

I looked at him with wide eyes, a little afraid to believe him. We had just finished having sex, and I wondered how much that was influencing his state of mind. The only plan we had made for the future was for me to come to Canada during the offseason. We hadn’t discussed anything beyond that. It had only come up when Joel asked me to apply for a passport when we made plans for our bye-week trip to Miami. This felt like a big jump, and I thought he might regret it in the morning. “You’re sure you want that?”

“I mean, I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” He grinned, and then his expression turned serious again. He brought his hand to his face to scratch at his beard before he looked back into my eyes and continued, “I want…I want you with me because I’m in love with you. I want us to live together next season, even if I do stay here. Just think about it. As long as you need to, there’s plenty of time. But I love you and I want you to stay in my life, and you need to know that.”

He loved me. We were at the same place, after all. For a moment I thought I hadn’t heard him right, but he had said it twice. 

He was looking at me for my reaction. “What if I don’t need to think about it?” I felt the smile on my face as I spoke, so happy, delirious even, to know that what I wanted more than anything was coming to pass. Joel was smiling back at me, pink high in his cheeks, his eyes shining and crinkled at the corners. “I already know I want to be wherever you are. Because I love you, too.” 

“I knew it.” Joel grabbed me around my waist and rolled over onto me, leaning down to leave a trail of gentle kisses down the bridge of my nose, whispering “I love you” between each one. I held his face between my hands to get him to look at me again.

“How long have you been holding out on me?” I teased.

“I didn’t want to scare you off! I could ask you the same thing.”

“Same answer.”

“I missed Valentine’s Day, but I guess the trade deadline is…almost as good…” We both laughed. I ran my hands through Joel’s hair, washed after his workout that morning and left to dry in soft curls. He tucked his head under my chin, against my neck. I let my hands fall to rest on his shoulders, feeling his weight on me every time I breathed in. 

“I love you, Joel.” It felt right to say it. Right, and whole, and peaceful. It felt like the relief of finally telling the truth, as if I had been lying every time I felt that love stir in my chest and hadn’t told him.

I felt Joel shift to slide his arms under and around me, squeezing me tightly. He tilted his face up toward me and kissed under my jaw. 

“I love you, too, baby girl.”


End file.
